Virtual Exchange Courses

Each semester a number of courses in a variety of disciplines are offered using an International Virtual Exchange modality. Students taking these courses have the opportunity to work with their peers around the world as they:

• Discover and explore global cultures
• Build cultural awareness and cultural competencies
• Develop intercultural communication and collaboration skills

Fall 2025 Courses

Global Understanding

In the Global Understanding courses, students work with peers from two – three partner institutions around the world for approximately 4 – 6 weeks each. Bi-weekly video conference discussions, chats, and collaborative student projects provide personal, global experiences that promote cross-cultural understanding as students build intercultural communication and collaboration skills. Examples of topics covered throughout the semester include college life & education, work & careers, family & traditions, stereotypes & prejudices, gender, meaning of life & religion, mental health & wellness, and many more.

Global Understanding courses are offered through a number of departments. Most courses fulfill either a SOC or HUM general education requirement.

GU Fall Classes 2025

Global Business

The Global Business course is designed to help students develop intercultural communication and collaboration skills relevant to business, assess cultural differences in business practices in international contexts, and build problem solving and strategic decision-making abilities through collaborative projects. The collaborative portions of the course focus on a few key general topics including business protocols and etiquette and the business environment and systems, then focuses on various business aspects (leadership, entry mode, location choice, competitive advantage, and market segmentation) through the lens of e-commerce.

Global Environment

The Global Environment course explores and analyzes environmental issues at local, regional, and global scales. Over the semester, students will use real-time videoconference and chat to collaborate with peers at three different partner institutions around the world to explore the interconnectivities of global environmental problems as well as how different countries, cultures, and governments approach and address these problems. The course will provide an overview of several environmental topics, including traditional and alternative sources of energy, natural resources management and policy, the sustainability of ecosystems, climate change, and environmental cooperation and conflict.

Course Descriptions

ETHN 2001

Explore the crossroads of imagination and reality in our Ethnic Studies class! Journey through speculative futures in science fiction while unearthing the complex connections between ethnicity and identity in American politics and culture. Discover how creative storytelling challenges traditional narratives, reimagines identities; and sheds light on hidden stories of power and resistance.

GEOG 3250

Ready to tackle the biggest challenges facing our planet and make a difference on a global scale? Level up your impact! Global perspective – understand environmental hazards in a global context through engagement with international partners. Become a climate change and sustainability champion on a global stage – build risk assessment, preparedness, and response toolkit.

HMGT 3200

Explore tourism, including the processes, activities, and outcomes arising from the relationships and interactions among tourists, suppliers, governments, communities, and surrounding environments involved in attracting and hosting visitors within domestic and international settings.

PLAN 2030

This course examines how cultural norms across global cities affect the built environment (e.g. city form). What role does city planning play in people’s lives in different parts of the world? How has history shaped place? What strengths in urban planning can we learn from? How do planning problems differ?